Refrigerator



Nov. 26, 1940. w. J. LA cAssE REFRI GERATOR Filed Dec. 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z x /x z/ Nov.. 26, 1940. LA cAssE 2,222,67o

REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 %Ja/[07". ;t/lim Patented Nov. 26, 1940 iJlTED STATES REFRIGERATOR William J. La Casse, Du1utl,-Minn., assignor to The C'oolerator Company, Duluth, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application December s, 1938, sen-31 No. '244,646

6 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to racks and the like for supporting water ice or kindred refrigerating medium in such refrigerators.

In the co-pending application of Carl Edward Harry Frykdahl, Serial No. 110223, filed November 11, 1936, now Patent No. 2,141,720, patented December 27, 1938, there is disclosed an arrangement suitable for use in refrigerators which enables temperatures to be established in a part of the food compartment lower than the mean temperature in the food compartment, the arrangement entailing the provision of a Compartment in the food compartment of the refrigerator in position to directly receive air passing from the refrigerating medium, and an important object of the present invention is to expedite the passage of air from the refrigerating medium into an arrangement such as disclosed in the aforesaid Frykdahl patent.

In the patent to Ophuls and Nuss, 1,864,212, there is shown a rack on which a cake of water ice or other kindred refrigerating medium is adapted to be supported, this rack being formed to comprise spaced apart fins which areintended to pick up heat from air flowing from the food compartment of a refrigerator or other space to be refrigerated and to Carry thi-s heat to the refrigerating medium in such a way as to cause parts of the refrigerating medium, such as Water ice, to form fins between the fins of the rack to thereby greatly increase the area of the refrigerating medium exposed to the air from the refrigerated space to thereby enable suflicient heat transfer from the air to the refrigerating medium to take place in order that a proper refrigerating temperature may be established in the space to be refrigerated such as the food compartment of a refrigerator. The present invention pertains to a rack that is adapted to be used in place of the `rack disclosed in the 'aforesaid Ophuls and Nuss patent and the rack of the present invention, like the rack disclosed in the aforesaid Ophuls and Nuss patent, is intended tobe mounted at the bottom of the compartment in a 'refrigerator in which a refrigerating medium, such as water ice, is to be stored and which 'Compartment will be referred to hereinafter as the ice compartment of the refrigerator. By disposing the rack in this position the rack serves as the bottom of the ice compartment and also as the top of a cooling and air conditioning zone which is dened by the rack in cooperation with the usual drip pan 'arrangement that is mounted at the top of the food compartment of the refrigerator but below and in spaced relation with the rack, opposite edges-ofthe drip pan arrangement *being spa'ced from opposite walls of the refriger-` ator in the directionof the extent o'f the finsof 'the rack sothat air may flow from the food compartment, as the space to be refrigerated be referred to hereina'fter, up, into and through the cooling and air conditioning zone above the drip pan and -out the space at the other end of the drip pan into the food compartment, heat being extracted from the air during flow thereof through 'the cooling and air conditioning zone, and'by reason of contact of the airwith the water of meltage from the ice the air s properly conditioned before 'being returned to the foodcompartment.

'The compartment shown inthe'aforesaid Frykdahl patent and in whicha temperature lower `than the mean temperature in the 'foodcompartmentis established may be .Conveniently located immediately 'below the aforesaid drip pan arrangement, and openings may be Conveniently formed in the .drip pan arrangement through 'which air cooled and "conditioned inthe aforesaid air conditioningizone may directly flow intothe compartment into which the lower temperature is to be established, and among other objects of this 'invention are to facilitate'the direction of air through such openings into the aforesaid compartment; to prevent water of mel-tage or water of condensation from passing through the 'openings in the drip pan arrangement :into the "aforesaid compartment in which the lower temperature is to be `established; and to properly guide the air during flow thereof through the 'cooling and conditioning zoneand at the same time insure uniform imelting of the .ice .or other refrigerating mediumiso that the ice or wrefrigerating medium will melt down in such a way that the upper surface thereof ?remains substantially flat, wherebyireplenishment of thezsupply 'of 'rerigerating medium is facilitated since .a fresh cake of .iceor thelike may be slidieas'ily into `position onto the top surface 'of the supply of refrigerating medium that'is being replen'ished.

Other and *further objects will bc apparent from the 'following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical -sectionai View througha refrigerator in which the novel ice rack of my invention is installed and-in which there is included the usual drip pan arrangement below -which-a compartment is arranged 'in which a-temperature 'lower 'than the mean temperature in the food compartmentis'to'be established;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of the drip pan arrangement and showing the upper and lower pans thereof separated;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View taken substantially on the line 2-2 on Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of a rack constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates generally the cabinet, which may be of different sizes and shapes, made of suitable material with desired insulation, and varied to meet difierent conditcns. The refrigerator has a main food compartment 6 at the bottom and an ice Compartment 'l at the top. A front ledge 8 is supported in the side walls of the refrigerator adjacent the cross rail 9 which is located in the front wall between the food compartment door ID and the ice compartment door ll. An inner rail l2 is mounted on the front ledge 8 and spaced like the front ledge from the rail 9. The inner rail has a sheet metal facing !3 thereon which extends down over the inner edge of the front ledge and hangs free thereover to provide a drip edge directly above the drip pan arrangement, generally indicated by !4, to prevent any water of condensation or water from the melting ice from dripping into the food compartment. The inner rail and front ledge are spaced from the front rail to prevent condensation on the outer side of the front rail and the space is covered by the sill for the ice compartment door l I' which prevents anything from dropping through the space into the food compartment. This space is restricted and though there may be slight movement of air therethrough it is not an air circulation space and contrbutes nothing to nor does it detract from the air circulation cycle in the food compartment. The front ledge 9 extends inwardly from the front wall of the refrigerator and between the two compartments and forms a shelf upon which the front of the ice rack, generally indicated by !5, rests, this rack being described more fully hereinafter. A back rail IG is fastened to the back and side walls of the refrigerator and is declined downwardly toward the center of the refrigerator from the back wall and is provided with `angles A having a horizontal top surface to form a shelf upon which the rear of the ice rack !5 rests. The declination of the back rail is such that water from the melting ice will run down the back rail to the inner end which is arranged above the drip pan arrangement whereby the water will drip onto this arrangement. Hooks IT are also secured to the back rail at its lower end and are adapted to support a screen S extending across the refrigerator in the path of circulation of the air in the food compartment. The screen prevents ice chippings from falling down behind the rear edge of the drip pan arrangement into the food compartment. A sheet metal front rail !8 may be provided which extends upwardly alongside the inner rail 12 to approximately the level of the lower edge of the ice compartment door II to provide a skid rail over which a cake of ice may be pushed into the ice compartment when the previous cake has melted down to the level of the skid rail. A

The drip pan arrangement M comprises an upper pan IS and a lower pan 20. The upper pan has raised side edge portions 2| which terminate in depending flanges 22. The upper pan is also rovided with a turned up front edge portion 23 which terminates in a depending flange 24. There is also a turned up back edge portion 25 terminating in a rolled edge. The depending edges are all welded to each other at their junctures to form a continuous depending fiange. The lower pan 20 has raised side edge portions 26 and a raised front edge portion 21 and a raised back edge portion 28. The lower pan edge portions are welded together at their junctures to form a continuous upstanding fiange around the bottom pan. The upper pan is provided with a pipe spout 29 centrally located in the back edge portion 25 so that water collecting on the upper pan will drain through the spout 29. The bottom pan is provided with a trough spout 38 centrally located in the back edge portion 28, and the spout 29 is adapted to extend into the spout 3 so that all water collecting on the upper pan !9 or lower pan 20 will drain therefrom at the same place. The side fianges 22 of the upper pan are provided with notches 3| which are adapted to receive the front edge portion 21 of the lower pan and the side edge portions 22 in back of the notches are adapted to fit within the side edge portions 26 of the lower pan so that the upper pan will nest in the lower pan. The side edge portions 22 are of a depth sulficient to space the body of the upper pan from the body of the lower pan, and the condensation collecting on the bottom of the upper pan will drip onto the bottom pan and drain off through the spout 30. The bottom pan is provided with hangers 32 which are pivotally Secured to the bottom pan side flangcs 25 at the front by rivets 33. Pins 37 pro ject from the side walls of the refrigerator and are adapted to be hooked by the hangers 32. The bottom pan is also provided with grooves 34 to receive pins 35, Fig. 3, projecting from the side walls of the refrigerator and latches 36 are pivot-ally secured to the side edge portions 26 to lock the pan to the pins. The pins 35 are arranged lower than the pins 37 to support the drip pan in a dcclining position from front to rear in the refrigerator. This arrangement of the drip pan provides that the relatively warm air rising in the refrigerator will strike the bottom of the bottom pan and because of the tlted position of this pan the air will flow toward the front of the refrigerator up around the front edge portion 24 of the upper pan into the cooling Zone between the drip pan arrangement and ice, where it will be cooled and dropped down onto the upper pan and flow toward the rear of the refrigerator, and the major portion of the cooled air will flow down over the rear edges of the upper and lower pans back into the main food compartment.

In the present instance openings 38 and 39 are respectively provided in the upper and lower pans and these openings register with each other and have upstanding flanges 40 and fil respectively therearound to prevent water on the pans from dripping therethrough. A part of the air cooled in the cooling and conditioning zone flows through the 'openings 38 and 39 and in some instances such air may be permitted to pass directly into the food compartment 6 or other space to be refrigerated but in the present instance the following and preferred arrangement is provided.

The just `referred to airangement includes a compartmert, hereinafter referred to as a cold compartment and in which a temperature lower than the mean temperature in the food Compartment 6 may be established. This cold Compartment, generally indicated by 42, is arranged beneath the center of the drip pan arrangement in the main food compartment and comprises side walls 43, a back wall 44 and a bottom 45 bottom 'face of the bottom drip pan 20.

and it is open at the top and provided with a hinged door a't the front. -The cold Compart- -ment rests on `a shelf 41 in the food Compartside walls are fianged inwardly at the top and the flanges are provided with buttons &9 of rubber, Bakelite 'or the like which engage the The back wall t is recessed at to accommodate *the dra i-n tube which extends. from the spout 30 through the floor of the main food conpartment to the outside of the refrigerator. The door ifi -is hingedly supported in position (in a -manner -not shown) and includes a 'snap latch '52 which engages a fiange on one of the side walls 43 to maintain the door spaced from the front of the compartment.

The air circulating up around the front of the 'drip pan arrangement into the cooling zone will partly pass over the drip pan ar'angement and down the back wall of the refrigerator cooling the main food compartment, and a portion of the air from the cooling Zone will pass through the openings 33 and 39 in the drip pan arrangement into the cold compartment and 'out through the space around the door thereof where it will be partially dissipated into the main food compartment and partially drawn upwardly with the rising air therefrom to the cooling zone to be recooled and reoonditioned by the ice and moisture due to the melting ice dripping onto the drip pan.

This circulation through the cold Compartment is restricted to a relatively small area and the air circulating therethrough comes directly from 'the cooling zone, thereby providing a relatively lower temperature in the cold Compartment than outside thereof in the main food compartment.

A tray 53 is provided in the bottom of the cold compartment which is arranged with depending flanges on its side edges and which rests on the bottom of the cold compartment. The tray is not Secured to any part of the cold compartment and is readily removable for cleaning.

The cold compartment provides a restricted area wherein the temperature is maintained several degrees colder than in the main food compartment and wherein foods demanding a relatively colder temperature for proper preservation may be kept without affecting the temperature outside of the cold compartment in the main food compartment. The air is constantly circulating through the cold compartrnent by reason of the natural tendenoy of the more dense cold air to drop through the openings in the drip pan arrangement into the cold compartm'ent and displace the relatively warm air therein through the opening around the door 46. The air entering the cold compartment is humidified in the cooling zone by the moisture on the surface of the ice and the moisture from the melting ice present on the fins of the ice rack and on the drip pan and in the space therebetween as it drips from the ice and fins onto the drip pan. Air circulation through the cold compartment may be augmented by providing perforations in the tray 53 and lower wall 45, if so 'desired The ice rack !5 to which reference has been rails 54 and 55 which, in the present instance,

respectively constitute the front and rear rails of the rack. The rack also includes a plurality of fins, `generally indicated by 55, which, throughout the extent thereof, are of inverted substantially -U-shaped configuration, as best shown in Fig. 3. The rear ends of the fins 56 are formed to provide fiat ears as 51 which are adapted to be rested on and suitably Secured to the horizontally extending portion of the substantially L-shaped rear rail 55 as by being riveted thereto. The front end of the fins 56 are also foi'med to provide fiat ears 58 that are adapted to be rested on and suitably Secured to the horizontally extending portion 5& of the front -rail 54 as by being riveted thereto. The substantially L-shaped rear rail 55 includes an upstanding part and the front rail 59 is formed to provide a vertically extending part 6! and the fins 56 are arranged to extend between the parte 60 and 61, said fins, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, terminating in spaced relation with said parts 63 and Bl. -It is to be noted that the front rail !8 is formed as an extension of the portion 55) of the rail 55 of the rack.

In the present instance five fins Et are arranged in side by side relation inwardly from each end of the rails 54 and 55, these fins being disposed with the ears 51 on adjacent rails in abutment With each other, as best shown in Fig. 4, these cars being sized to insure that when so abutted the fins 55 will be properly spaced one from the other, the spacing being such that the inclined sides of the fins 55 remain spaced fromeach other.

When the rack is arranged in operative position in a refrigerator the circulation of air along the sides of the fins 56 is from front to rear. In View of this the air Contacting the front portions of the fins is warmer than the air Contacting the rear portions thereof, this being due to the fact that by the time the air has reached the rear portions of the fins it will have been passing through the cooling and condition'ng chamber and Will therefore have surrendered a portion of the heat carried thereby to the refrigerating medium. It will be seen from this that the ternpe'ature differential between the air and the fins will be greater at the front end of the fins than at the rear ends thereof, it being understood that in operation the fins cool down to substantially the temperature of the refrigerating medium. Because of the greater temperature differential at the front ende of the fins than at T the rear ends thereof, there will be greater heat transfer at the front end than at the rear end, and hence if the fins were of uniform size from front to rear the refrigerating medium would melt more rapidly at the front than at the rear. In order to insure that the rate of heat transfer from the air to the refrigerating medium will be substantially uniform throughout the length of the fins, the fins are formed to be of greater area U-shaped cross-section and which has ears 63 thereon that are disposed on and suitably Secured to, as by being riveted, the rear rail 56, and ears as 64 that are disposed on and rveted or otherwise suitably Secured to the front rail 54. Thus the enlarged fin 62 is Secured to the rails 54 and 55 substantially medially in the extent thereof. The inclination of the sides of the fins 56 and 62 is such that the lower free edges of the fin 62 lie below the adjacent fins 56 so that any meltage from a fin of ice (as explained presently) defined between the fin 62 and the adjacent fins 56 as well as any mel-*cage dripping from said adjacent fins 56, and particularly the sides thereof disposed toward the fin 62, will be collected on the sides of said fin 62.

It has been previously eXplained that the openings 38 and 39, respectively provided in the upper and lower drip pans IS and 20, are arranged midway in the extent of these drip pans and, as explained, the foregoing arrangement of the fin 62 disposes this fin midway in the eXtent of the rails 54 and 55. Therefore, when the rack [5 and the drip pans !9 and 26 are arranged in a refrigerator, the aligned openings 38 and 39 lie below the fin 62, the sides of which are inclned sufciently that the free edges of such sides lie well beyond the fianges :w provided about the opening 39. Thus the fin 62 prevents water from the melting ice from passing through the openings 38 and 39 into the compartment 44.

When an ice cake or other refrigerating medium is initially rested on the bights of the U-shaped fins 56 and 62, the fins serve to pick up heat from the air thereabou t, and this heat is transmitted through the fins to the refrigerating medium, and such heat transfer, in effect, causes the fins to melt into the ref'igerating medium. such melting of the fins into the refrigerating medium in the region of the bights of the fins causes fins of ice to be formed between the sides of adjacent fins 56 and adjacent fins 56 and 62.

The area of the fins in contact with the ice cake and the area of the fins exposed to air flowing from the food compartment is so proportioned that the rate of heat transfer therethrough in cooperation with the heat transfer from the air to the aforesaid fins of ice will cause a predetermined temperature to be established in the food compartment, which is to say, the aforesaid proportion is such that once the temperature of the air in the food compartment has been brought down to a mean average temperature desired to be maintained therein and the walls, shelves and the like in the food compartment have been correspondingly cooled down, the rate of heat transfer from the air to the ref'igerating medium will be such that the aforesaid desired temperature will be established and maintained. It will be understood that if the area of the fins is too restricted, then there will not be sufiicient heat transfer to the fins to establish the desired temperature in the food compartment and on the other hand, if the area of the fins is greater than that required to establish the aforesaid desired temperature, then, because of the excessive capacity of heat transfer, a. temperature lower than that desired will be established. Thus once it is determined what temperature is desired to be maintained in the food compartment, the area of the fins 56 and 62 as well as the tap-er thereof from front to rear is determined to be such that the proper degree of heat transfer will be afforded both to establish the desired temperature in the food compartment and also to insure that the rate of heat transfer will be the same at the front of the fins as at the rear end thereof,

The space between the sides of the fin 62 aifords a channel through which air from the food compartment may flow and by reason of the size of the fin 62 an effective heat transfer from air flowng through the channel thus defined to -the refrigerating medium is aforded. Thus an ample supply of cold air to pass through the openings 38 and 39 is afforded by the aforesaid conguration and disposition of the fin 62. The aforesaid configuration and disposition of the fin 62 is advantageous in any refrigerator whether or not a cold compartment as the compartment 44 and openings 38 and 39 areprovided, for the medial location of the enlarged fin 62 enables heat transfer to be greatest midway between the side walls of the refrigerator, which facilitates cooling of the food compartment 6 and the establishment of an effective mean refrigerating temperature in this compartment. Estahlishment of a lower temperature in the medial part of the compartment 6 may be facilitated by providing openings as the openings 38 and 39 but omitting to provide a compartment as the compartment 40.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that by providing an enlarged fin through which heat transfer may be rapidly efiected the efciency of a finned ice supporting rack which is intended to so cooperate with a refrigerating medium, such as an ice cake, is 'ncreased in that the area of the heat absorbing surface exposed to air from which heat is to be absorbed is greatly increased. Furth-ermore, the above described arrangement is such that greater heat transfer can be effected at that portion of the refrigerator Whereat it is particularly desirable to establish the lower temperatures. Moreover, the foregoing arrangement is advantageous in those arrangements wherein it is desirable to defiect a portion of the air from which the heat has been extracted into a compartment wherein a temperature lower than the mean average temperature of the main compartment to be refrigerated is to be established, and it will be understood that the foregoing arrangement can be utilized wherein openings are provided in a drip pan arrangement substantially medially therein so that air can pass through these openings either into a compartment in which a temperature lower than the average mean temperature in a food compartment is to be established or directly into the food compartment.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation .and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purVieW of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator including an ice compartment, a main storage compartment disposed below said ice compartment and an auxiliary storage compartment arranged within the main storage compartment and having an opening at the top thereof, means for supporting a cake of ice in the ice compartment and including a plurality of spaced apart ice-supporting and heat-conducting fins each substantially U-shaped in vertical cross section with the bight disposed at the top thereof to support a cake of ice, and a drip pan arranged between the lower edges of said fins and at the top of said main storage compartment and 2,22ac7o.

having an opening therein aligned Withthe opening at the top` of the auxiliary storage compartment, the oneof said fins above the opening in the drip pan being enlarged and having the lower edges thereof extended beneath adjacent fins and into alignment with portions of the drip pan' on opposite sides of said opening therein.

2. A refrigerator comprising an ice compartment', a main storage compartment disposed below said. ice compartment and an auxiliary storage compartment arranged within said main storage compartment and including a top wall having an opening formed therein communicating with said ice compartment, and means for supporting a cake of ice in said ice compartment, said supporting means including groups of icesupporting and heat-conducting fins each substantially U-shaped in vertical cross section and with their bight portions disposed at the top thereof to support a cake of ice, and a second ice-supporting and heat-conducting fin arranged between said groups of fins, said second fin being substantially U-shaped in cross section throughout its vertical extent and having its bight portion disposed at the top thereof in substantially the same horizontal plane as the fins in said groups, said second fin being larger than the fins in said groups and having its side portions extending downwardly below the bottom edges of the fins in said groups and above said opening.

3. In a refrigerator comprising a compartment adapted to receive a refrigerating medium, a storage compartment, means defining a cooling zone intermediate said compartments and including a member against which a refrigeratng medium in the compartment therefor is adapted to bear and also including another member constituting a wall of the storage compartment and arranged to cause air to flow over one edge thereof from said storage compartment into said cooling zone and over the other edge thereof from said cooling zone into said storage compartment, the member against which the refrigerating medium is adapted to bear including a plurality of fins over 3 which air fiowing throughthe cooling zone is adapted to flow to have heat therein transferred to the refrigerating medium through the fins whereby the air is cooled prior to flow thereof from the cooling zone, at least one of said fins being constructed and arranged to enable heat transfer to be effected therethrough at a rate greater than the rate of heat transfer through other fins whereby air flowing therefrom will be cooled to a temperature lower than the temperature to which air fiowing from said other fins is cooled, and means' in said storage compartment dening an auxiliary compartment therein, said other member constituting a wall of thestorage compartment having at least one opening therein aligned with each fin constructed and arranged to enable the aforesaid greater heat transfer to be effected therethrough, the means in said storage compartment dening the auxiliary compartment being positioned to arrange said compartment to receive air through the afo-resaid opening whereby the air cooled to said lower temperature may pass through the opening into said auxiliary compartment to enable a temperature to be established therein lower than the mean average temperature established in said storage compartment, said one fin being substantially U- shaped in cross section throughout its entire vertical extent and having its bight portion disposed at the top thereof for contact with a cake of ice disposed upon said fins and having its side portions extending downwardly and* outwardly beyond the sides of said opening and above the latter.

4. A refrigerator comprising an ice compartment and a food compartment therebelow, ice supporting means at the bottom of said ice compartment, and a drip p-an in said food compartment at the top thereof and cooperating with the ice supporting means to define a cooling and conditioning Zone at the juncture of said ice and food compartments, said drip pan being spaced from each one of a pair of opposite walls of the refrigerator, the ice supporting means comprising a plurality of spaced apart substantially U- shaped fins. each having the bight thereof in clirect contact with the ice and having the sides thereof exposed to air fiowing through said zone to transferheat from the air to the ice and' operative to cause portions of 'the ice cake to sink` between the fins to thereby define fins of ice between the fins on the supporting means, the fins on said supporting means cooperating with the fins of ice to cool the air in said zone, at least one of the fins on the supporting means being of substantially greater area than other of such fins to thereby aiford greater heat transfer than that afiorded by said other fins, said one fin being substantially U-shaped in cross section throughout its entire vertical extent and having it bight portion disposed at the top thereof for contact with a cake of ice disposed upon said fins and having its side portions extending downwardly and outwardly.

5. A refrigerator comprising an ice compartment and a food compartment therebelow, ice supporting means at the bottom of said ice compartment, and a drip pan in said food compartment at the top thereof and cooperating with the ice sup-porting means' to define a cooling and conditioning zone at the juncture of said ice and food compartments, said drip pan being spaced from each one of a pair of opposite walls of the refrigerator, the ice supporting means comprising a plurality of spaced apart fins each including a part in direct contact With the ice and a part exposed to air fiowing through said zone to transfer heat from the air to the ice and operative to cause portions of the ice cake to sink between the fins to thereby define fins of ice between the fins on the supporting means, the fins on said supporting means cooperating with the fins of ice to cool the air in said zone, at least one of the fins on the supporting means being of substantially greater area than other of such fins to thereby afford greater heat transfer than that afforded by said other fins, air from the food compartment fiowing past the drip pan at one end thereof spaced from one of the opposite walls of the ice refrigerator and through the zone and back into the food compartment through the space between the other end thereof and the other of said opposite walls of the refrigerator, the fins on said supporting means being of gradually increasing area along the extent thereof in the direction of air flow through said zone to thereby insure a uniform rate of heat transfer thereto from the air to the ice, said one fin being substantially U-shaped in cross section throughout its entire vertical extent and having its bight portion disposed at the top thereof for contact with a cake of ice disposed upon said fins and having its side portions extending downwardly and outwardly.

6. A refrigerator comprising an ice compartment and a food compartment therebelow, ice

supporting means at the bottom of said ice compartment, and a drip pan in said food Compartment at the top thereof and cooperating with the ice supporting means to define a cooling and conditioning zone at the juncture of said ice and food compartments, said drip pan being spaced from each one of a pair of opposite walls of the refrigerator, the ice supporting means comprising a plurality of spaced apart substantially U- shaped fins each having the bight thereof in direct contact with the ice and having the sides thereof exposed to air fiowing through said zone to transfer heat from the air to the ice and operative to cause portions of the ice cake to sink between the fins to thereby define fins of ice between the fins on the supporting means, the fins on said supporting means cooperating With the fins of ice to cool the air in said zone, at least one of the fins on the supporting means being of substantially greater area than other of such fins to thereby aiord greater heat transfer than that aorded by said other fins, air from the food compartment fiowing past the drip pan at one end thereof spaced from one of the opposite walls of the ice refrigerator and through the zone and back into the food compartment through the space between the other end thereof and the other of said opposite walls of the refrigerator, the fins on said supporting means being of gradually increasing area along the extent thereof in the direction of air flow through said zone to thereby insure a uniform rate of heat transfer thereto from the air to the ice, said one fin being substantially U-shaped in cross section throughout its entire vertical extent and having its bight portion disposed at the top thereof for contact with a cake of ice disposed upon said fins and having its side portions extendng downwardly and outwardly.

WILLIAM J. LA CASSE. 

